Oregon Master Gardeners were surveyed to identify volunteer demographics, as well as familiarity with and frequency of use of current computer technology. The Oregon State University Master Gardener Program has evolved over the past 25 years, and as such so have the training needs. New demands are presently being made...
The study was conducted in an organic trailing blackberry (Rubus L. subgenus Rubus, Watson) planting established at the North Willamette Research and Extension Center in Aurora, OR on 26 May 2010. Three weed management systems were compared for 'Marion' and 'Black Diamond': 1) non-weeded; 2) hand-hoed two to three times...
School garden programs have become increasingly popular for their diverse, positive benefits. School gardens are often promoted as a relatively low cost means to offer hands-on learning opportunities that may foster academic achievement, particularly in the sciences, however only six studies have been published on the impact of garden education...
North American cultivation of Ribes L. may expand as small fruit growers seek species to diversify horticultural crops. The Ribes industry was suppressed for decades out of fear that cultivated black currants and gooseberries would intensify the fungal disease white pine blister rust (WPBR) on five-needle pine (Pinus L. section...
Soil response and function were investigated following the adoption of an integrated reduced-tillage and cover-cropped vegetable system in the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon. The experiment was conducted over three cropping seasons (2002-2004) at the Oregon State University Vegetable Research Farm (Corvallis, OR). The design was a randomized complete-block with...
The use of cover crops in young vineyards is not widely accepted in the Pacific Northwest due to concerns of water and nutrient competition between the cover crop and vines. The last 2 years of a 4-year study started in 2009 are reported here. The study evaluated the use of...
Hemp is a dioecious, annual, flowering plant in the Cannabaceae family. It has been used for thousands of years to produce textiles, essential oils, and medicines. The overall purpose of these experiments was to propagate the cannabinoid-free cultivar, ‘I3’, and follow up by inducing polyploidy in the ‘I3’ hemp via...
The common cherrylaurel (Prunus laurocerasus) and Portuguese cherrylaurel (P. lusitanica) are economically important landscape shrubs across the United States. To gain a better understanding of physiology and morphology in these higher level polyploids (P. lusitanica, 2n = 8x; P. laurocerasus, 2n =22x), a variety of breeding experiments were performed. The...
Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco] bark (DFB),
sphagnum peat moss, and pumice are the most common substrate components used
in the Oregon nursery industry. Despite the widespread use of these three
components, little information is available on the effect of physical and hydraulic
properties of peat moss and pumice on...
The majority of grapes grown in Oregon are produced in Western Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where two-thirds of the acreage is planted to Pinot noir. The production of Pinot noir in the Willamette Valley comes at a high cost, and growers are seeking ways to increase profits while maintaining quality fruit...